LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/23/12 -- Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and Chairman of the MPTF Foundation Committee, today announced the launch of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's $350 million campaign to sustain the charity's activities for the foreseeable future. At a media breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Katzenberg also introduced Board Member George Clooney as his partner in the campaign.

"I am proud to be part of the MPTF legacy of taking care of our own. Our business is more than a job -- it is a way of life, and MPTF has been the essential safety net for more than 90 years," said Jeffrey Katzenberg. "This campaign is the way my generation can ensure that MPTF will be there to serve future generations forever."

As chairman of the MPTF Foundation Committee, Mr. Katzenberg has been a tireless advocate and fundraiser as well as a generous supporter of MPTF with his wife Marilyn. At today's announcement, Katzenberg and Clooney acknowledged lead gifts from Steve Bing, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Barry Diller, Fox Entertainment Group, David Geffen, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Michael Lewis, Jerrold Perenchio, Todd Phillips, Joe Roth, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Steven Spielberg, Thomas Tull, Casey Wasserman, and John and Marilyn Wells. To date, Katzenberg has helped secure $200 million in pledges and donations to the MPTF Campaign -- achieving more than half of the total campaign goal.

Katzenberg introduced Clooney as "a good friend of MPTF and a committed philanthropist." In his remarks, Clooney said, "I've seen first-hand for many years the great work of the MPTF. I was raised to believe that as a community we should be judged by how we take care of people who can't take care of themselves. This is our community. This is our commitment; to make sure that the MPTF is still standing strong for generations to come."

Clooney unveiled a vintage coin box emblazoned with the charity's original name -- Motion Picture Relief Fund. He noted that the box was intended not only to remind the industry of where and when the charity began, but also to represent how every gift large and small counts.

MPTF CEO Bob Beitcher highlighted the increasing vulnerability of a large segment of the entertainment industry community due to changes in union and guild health and pension plans and potential erosion of the national social safety net. "Over the next 20 years, approximately 100,000 industry members and their families, our very own baby boomers, will be retiring," Beitcher said. "And the fact is that today we can't anticipate what kind of help and support they'll need from MPTF. But we can be certain that there will continue to be needs that otherwise won't be filled without the support of our charity."

"MPTF is greater than the sum of its parts, more than just the services it provides: it's the spirit that unites the industry in supporting each other in times of need," Beitcher concluded.

Katzenberg added, "With Bob Beitcher at the helm, strategically guiding the structure and long-term vision for the charity, and with George Clooney and many other dedicated advocates, I am confident we will achieve our goal of $350 million."

About the Motion Picture & Television FundFor 90 years, the MPTF has served as a beacon of hope for entertainment industry members in their time of need. As a charitable organization, the MPTF provides financial assistance and services essential to the wellbeing of the community and is a leader in the development and implementation of services and programs for seniors and those who care for them. The charity is supported by the generosity of corporate donors and fellow entertainment industry members who contribute their time and money knowing if they were ever in a tight spot, the MPTF would be there for them too. For more information, visit www.mptvfund.org.